I have been accused in the past of being hate challenged because I find it difficult to feel that feeling for people. I have been accused of being in denial of my own hatred for others.
It is late and I should be in bed, but I just returned from a community meeting about reducing hatred between people of differing faiths. The crowd was equally divided between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. There were about ten people I knew well from these types of meetings; I've been involved with them in this community for five years. And there were many people I had never met before.
In a small group dialogue I recounted that part of my ancestry comes from Pulaski, TN, where the KKK was started. Yep. Those are some of my roots. One young Muslim man, whose family emigrated to the US only a generation ago, said it was really interesting to hear a white American man tell some of his story; he is so accustomed to hearing stories of immigrants that end up being so close to his and his family's, and white people don't expose their stuff. My reaction was that my family's immigration story just goes back a few more decades than his.
That young man was one of the more level-headed, creative, assured, peaceful people I've met in a while. After the meeting, in the parking lot, I got to know more about another young Muslim man and found that he and I have very similar passions and styles of living. I also gave a hug to a gal I already knew as she was departing; I realize that hugging an unmarried Muslim gal in public would raise some eyebrows, but we've done that for quite a while without being struck down by lightning.
As I was driving away it struck me that I had just spent a couple of hours with some peaceful Jews and Muslims. Don't hear about those types in the news very often. We have a lot of beliefs in common, even religious. I felt very fortunate to have spent time with them and would be quite happy to be around them some more. What made the time so valuable was that we talked openly about our upbringings, beliefs, and experiences. When you do that there is no way that they can remain stereotypes...they become humans like me. Very much like me.
I am very fortunate to live in a place where there is more diversity than usual. We have a major university that draws people from all over the world. Then again, I have made decisions to put myself in places to connect with others; out of a hundred thousand people in the city only about thirty showed up for this publicized meeting. But it enriched my life in a way that can't be had in any other way.
And I got more hugs tonight than I've had in a while. What's it worth to feel safe and comfortable enough with people to make such contact?
Hate challenged? Perhaps projection is alive and well in the world.
